Another tourney win for 14U Edwards
PF Flyers 14U Edwards won another tournament championship this weekend.
After a shutout on Friday night, Coach Brandon Edwards’ team needed extra innings in its second pool play game to earn the win and a spot in the championship game in the weather-shortened Gold Ring Championships tournament at Wright State University’s Nischwitz Stadium in Fairborn.
After a dramatic come-from-behind 7-6 win in that game, the Flyers’ pitchers — Rhys Canan and Bryce Eckert — dominated in the championship game. The Flyers won 3-0.
But it all started with a back-and-forth pool play game.
The Flyers needed a win against Ohio Baseball Club to make it to the championship game. The Flyers took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning on a 2-run double by Jack Phillabaum. But the Ohio Baseball Club scored three in the top of the fifth to take a 3-2 lead. The Flyers tied it at 3 in the bottom of the inning when Caleb Driessen singled, moved to second on a groundout by Dane Dudley and then scored when Canan hit a groundball to short that went for an error.
The score remained tied through six innings. With time the time limit expired and the game still tied, that meant tiebreaker rules were in effect. Each team started the innings after that point with the bases loaded and one out.
Ohio Baseball Club scored three in the top of the seventh to take a 6-3 lead.
Driessen started the bottom of the seventh with a fielder’s choice to score one and make it 6-4. Dudley was hit by a pitch to load the bases again with two outs and the Flyers down two.
Canan lined a single to right to score two and tie the game at 6.
In the top of the eighth, Driessen had to face another bases loaded and one out scenario. He induced a fly ball to short left for the second out. The next hitter battled to a full count before Driessen turned and fired to shortstop Lucas Basta to pick a runner off second and end the inning.
Tyler Schumacher drew a two-out, bases loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth for the game winner.
In the championship game against the S2N Columbus Sharks, the only major offensive threat for the Sharks came in the first inning.
The leadoff batter laced a triple into the left center gap to start the game. But Canan struck out the next two hitters and induced a grounder to short to end the inning and leave the runner stranded at third.
Canan pitched four innings, allowing four hits and striking out seven. Eckert came in to close out the game. He went three innings, allowing no hits and striking out three. Neither Eckert or Canan allowed a walk.
The Flyers took the lead in the third. Driessen walked. Dudley was hit by a pitch. And Canan singled to right. That loaded the bases for Carson Collins who walked to give the Flyers the 1-0 lead. One batter later, Schumacher singled to right to make it 2-0.
The Flyers added a third run in the fifth when Brayden Schmittou tripled, and Schumacher singled him in.
The team won its first pool play game on Friday night 11-0. Five different pitchers each tossed a scoreless inning. Basta and Phillabaum each drove in two runs.
The Flyers are now 10-1.
